Happy New Year! 2013!

I left Shanghai on Jan 1st, 2013 at 10:55am....but not before celebrating the new year's with a bang.

First, we all went to dinner for all-you-can-eat/drink Teppanyaki. This is the Japanese style of cooking where the Chef cooks in front of you. We ordered delicious sushi and sashimi as well melt-in-your-mouth steak, lamb, fish, and shrimp. We spent two hours eating, chatting and anxiously awaiting the new year. With a half hour left of 2012, we left the restaurant and headed towards direction Bund. The Bund is the famous promenade with 19th century European architecture that stands waterfront to the Huangpu River. On the other side is Pudong, Shanghai's financial center, a huge collection of skyscrapers, most only 20 years in the making. We eagerly rushed down East Nanjing Road, a pedestrian walkway which is closed to traffic, and wondered if there truly would be fireworks. We kept hearing different things...some said there would be no fireworks and years past had seen expats wait in vain...in the cold. We also heard that instead of fireworks there would be a lazer show (whoop-de-doo) but as we rushed down past all the people, we could feel the excitement and we somehow knew there definitely would be fireworks. As we hurried along, we looked at our watches and saw only 10 minutes left! We made it all the way down East Nanjing until we ran into a wall of Chinese Policemen. Apparently, they blocked all access to the Bund about an hour beforehand as a measure of crowd control. So in front of the illuminated iPhone store, we make-shifted our own front row firework show with sparklers (wunderkerzen)...while still having a half-way view of the real firework show in the background. It would have been amazing to see the impressive firework display without the blocked view, but we were all together and that is what mattered. After the fireworks, we made our way through the massive Chinese crowd, past police barricades, to a deserted Bund. Whatever the Chinese had assembled for the New Year, they were already disassembling and workers were already cleaning. As we walked along the clean-up process, we saw little dots of light illuminating the sky. What? Chinese UFOs!!!! No, actually, they were Chinese lanterns. We got to see some of them being lit and sent off. Walking along the Bund, with a view of Pudong on the other side and Chinese lanterns drifting by, I really had to think about how cool it was to celebrate the New Year in Shanghai...and how perhaps it will be the only New Year's of my life celebrating in China.
After our stroll, we made our way to a club and danced a while to live jazz and live circus performances. Afterwards, we went to a bar which all the other students from ECUST were celebrating. They also had live music at this bar....an older Filipino band playing American classic rock. Despite their age, they were bringing down the house....I mean, one even pulled a Jimi Hendrix and played the guitar with his teeth (wowzers!). Since I needed to get to leave for the airport for a 14+ hour flight back to Hamburg, I decided that at 3am it was time to go home.

It was really sad to say goodbye. And I also really hate goodbyes. But I'd really like to thank all my friends in Shanghai: Anne, Anna, Jitka, Lara, Alejandro, Mike, Kai, Jonas, and Pamela (and all the other ECUST exchange students) for some wonderful memories in China. I know that it's not really goodbye to them, because I'm sure I'll seem them again whether its in Germany, Mexico or some other part of the world! I always find it incredible: the people you can meet abroad and how these people can be a part of lasting friendships despite huge distances across the world.

This is the end of my study abroad experience in China. As I end this final post, I'd like to share one last reflection. It will aim to answer the question: how did I like it overall? 

Well, as I was leaving the airport, I found myself musing over the fact "I can't believe I lived 4 months in China!" It was accompanied with a tone of "What was I thinking?!" But, I am so happy with that last minute decision I made last spring to come to Shanghai. I had some amazing experiences, and while maybe I didn't 100% love it all the time, it was a different experience. I had the opportunity to travel to new places, to see things I would have never seen before, and to experience a culture first-hand I could only wonder about before. I would do the experience a thousand times again. But of course, I am happy to be "home". I'm still trying to figure out what home is for me. Is it still California? Or is it Hamburg? Or will it be New York? Well for 2013, it's Hamburg and I'm looking forward to see what the year will offer.

Thank you all for reading this blog...I hope you were able to live the journey with me and that you enjoyed reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.

Until next time....

"For last year's words belong to last year's language And next year's words await another voice. To make an end is to make a beginning. -T.S Eliot

Subway, Busses, and Motorcycles = A Perilous life

It's actually my final day in Shanghai, so perhaps you've already noticed, that I'm trying to get out all final observations before I go. There's always been one topic that's been on my mind and that's transportation in China. I'd like to run through the different experiences I've had on all the different types of transportation in China. Let's start big to small, shall we?

Plane: Just like any other plane in any other country. Except for the warm-up exercises at the end. So imagine, there you are peacefully or usually not so peacefully sleeping when you hear at lot of repetitive sounds "yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, qi, ba, jiu, shi" followed by people clapping. You wake up to see your neighbor beating his fist up and down his arm. Your anxiety is only calmed once you see the flight attendant doing the same thing and issuing the next set of instructions: now beat your legs with your fist. Joking aside, I know the Chinese are probably doing something to help with circulation and that these warm up exercises are designed to help passengers wake up from the flight in order to get ready for landing. But the first time I experienced I thought I was still in some sort of weird dream.

Train: I never experienced the crowding of migrant workers onto trains during Golden Week. Instead, I rode in the most efficient train that I would even say was as efficient as German standards. On time to the minute and very comfortable.

Subway: There's a lot of people in Shanghai. And at rush hour, it can be life or death riding the subway...at least that's how it feels the way people act when trying to shove into a subway car. Sometimes, I've entered the subway car and in a matter of minutes, I'm clear at the other end! I usually just scratch my head and marvel at the magic that transported me to the clear other side of the car...then I realize, it was just the herd of Chinese people, which moved me there.

Bus: Yes, even busses get crowded during rush hour. But it's way worse than the subway. First of all, it's rush hour, which means their is an incredible amount of cars, motorcycles and pedestrians. Secondly, bus drivers don't think they are driving a big bus full of people but rather a race car! So they speed, cut off other drivers, slam on their breaks, and basically hold the string of your life in their hands. The only benefit of rush hour is you can't get pushed around due to the tens of human shields/buffers around you. The disadvantage; however, is the invasion of personal space. I've had to stand with my face 6 inches (15cm) from one small woman, as well as 5 inches (13) from an older man. You're so uncomfortable because you feel intimately close to these people and the whole time you are just wondering, "where the hell do I look??" After a few shifty eye movements, I think I finally settled to close my eyes.

Taxi: I think taxi might be my favorite except for the occasional adrenaline rush I get by a near death collision, or when I know the meter is ripping me off by going a mile a minute. However, when conditions are perfect, it's been my best opportunity to practice my Chinese. I've had many discussions over the past four months ranging from asking the taxi driver about his health to his feelings on how expensive apples and oranges are in Shanghai. "Shanghai ping guo tai gui le, Shanghai juzi bu tai gui."

Motorcycles: This is really for the people who like to live life on the edge. There are no rules for the motorcycle driver. Red and green...those are just suggestions. Also, when it comes to driving on the right side of the road...also just a suggestion. You'd be shocked to see how some Chinese families treat their mopeds like an American sedan. Child in front, then Dad, then Mom, all together on one tiny moped!

Bicycles: Same thing as Motorcycles/Mopeds but slower. The real silent killer though are the electric bikes which zoom up behind you without even making a peep.

Pedestrians: Fear for your lives. Green never means Go, it means "maybe it's a bit safer to go now" Also watch out for the spit.

I haven't really taken any great pictures of this myself, which I am very ashamed about (the shame!) but here's some pictures from the internet, which describe it best (no shame).

Exercises on Spring Airlines

Train to Hangzhou

Trying to get on the Line 2

Just hang on where you can in this Bus

Despite the cage that surrounds the driver, most I have talked to have been very friendly!

Attack of the Mopeds

The Chaos in general

Marriage Market

For one of my classes, I wrote a paper on China's one child policy and I learned that due to China's traditional preferences for a boy and the resulting abortions or infanticide which happen thereof; there is a resulting 32 million surplus of men.* That has made the situation complicated for young males trying to find a bride...especially since women can raise the stakes...and they have. In order for a young man to get a bride in the city, he'll need to have an apartment and a good job. Apartments are quite expensive, so it becomes a serious investment from the side of the parents. Their remedy: take matters into their own hands and play match maker for their children on weekends in People's Square. While doing the research for my paper, I read about such charade but it wasn't until yesterday that I actually got to see it first hand. They are thousands of flyers advertising age, height, weight, salary, and some even have the occasional picture. Then, imagine hundreds of parents aged, 40-60, discussing and negotiating deals. Yup, that's the Shanghai marriage market! Unfortunately, I was unable to find a Chinese husband, so guess that means I'm back to Germany (Germans beware). ;)

* Dvorsky, George. "The Unintended Consequences Of China's One-child Policy." Io9.com. N.p., 03 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Dec. 2012.

A Shanghai Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas,

in the city of Shanghai...

and per European tradition, Christmas was celebrated on the eve and not the day. (Sorry to ruin your anticipation of a brilliant rhyme). That's what happens when you get outnumbered. No matter, it was a wonderful Christmas eve and day. We were 13 people, mostly German, who got together in a small apartment for a cozy evening filled with good food, lots of wine, and silly games. Since we are in China, we decided it was only appropriate to have Peking Duck instead of turkey. However, we couldn't resist to also have some traditional staples from back home such as Rotkohl (for the Germans) and Mashed Potatoes (on behalf of myself!). It was quite a funny experience to eat Christmas eve dinner with Chopsticks; however, after 4 months of training, we all managed just fine. After dinner, we exchanged our Secret Santa gifts. I must have been very good this year because I got a great present including: a pretty pink watch, a hello kitty iPhone cover and my own little Terracotta warrior soldier that I may kiss whenever I want to! (reference to current facebook profile picture). After presents, we spent the evening playing very silly games with the night going until 3am with Charades. On actual Christmas, we all slept in, and gathered later in the day to watch Christmas movies and order pizza. This was my first Christmas away from home and although I missed my family incredibly much, I am very grateful to have been surrounded by wonderful people which have become my little Shanghai family. 

I <3 HK

As I write this, I'm sitting in the Hong Kong awaiting my return flight to Shanghai....."I don't want to go!!! Mom! Please don't make me go!" The airport sits right on the water and I can see the green-blue ocean and an island in the distant through the ceiling to floor windows. I have fallen in love with Hong Kong. I can't decide if it's the tropical climate; the ocean air; the New York City-vibe, or if it's the impressive English skills of the Hong Kongnese. HK seems to offer a little bit of everything, from downtown skyscrapers to golden beaches, from dapper dressed business men to fashionistas, all with fine international cuisine and cosmopolitan flair. I don't know if a return trip to China is in the stars for me, but I could definitely imagine to live and work a short while in Hong Kong! Guess that means it's time to throw out the Mandarin and learn the Cantonese!

I arrived in HK on Sunday with my Mexican friend Pamela along with two of her friends: Yeime and Hector. We arrived late and when we finally made it to our hostel we had a bit of a shock. First of all, our hostel was one of many in an area called ChungKing Mansions. It's not mansion like at all like the name suggests, but rather a labyrinth of shops, different hostels and God knows what else! When you enter the building you are greeted with Indians and other foreigners trying to sell you fake watches or bags. However, a simple shake of the head and they leave you alone. When we checked into our hostel we discovered our triple room was about 9 square meters! We had to laugh at how comically small it was. But it was newly renovated and clean. That's what counts. Since we are hard-core sightseeing enthusiasts, we ended only sleeping in our hostel and spending the rest of the time out and about.

On Monday, we first had to check about our return visa for China. I only received a one-entry visa to China. So by leaving to Hong Kong, I invalidated my visa. It's a pretty easy process to apply for a travel visa for China for 30 days so that's what I did. However, it's quite expensive. The rate varies from country to country. The Mexicans paid 400HK$ while I had to pay 770HK$ for being Polish. Tough luck I guess! After we sorted out the visa, we took a ferry taxi back to Kowloon and checked out the clock tower and avenue of stars. The avenue of stars is like the Hollywood stars except with HK stars. I didn't really recognize any name except for my man Jackie Chan! (Naturally I posed for a pic) That evening we headed up to the peak to admire the view from above. Unfortunately it had gotten cooler and we took for granted the good weather so we didn't have any jackets. Needless to say, our photo session was kept short.

On Tuesday, we went to see the giant Buddha. It's located on Lantau island and the best way to get there is cable car. It's amazing how high it goes! Turns out the giant Buddha is really giant. You could already see it from the cable car. It sits 268 steps high and took 12 years to built (completed in 1993). On the island, we could also take a bus to a small fishing village. Once we got there we were able to take a small boat tour. We were really hoping to see some Chinese white dolphins but we must have gone while they were sleeping because they were no where to be seen! :(

In the evening we returned to Hong Kong island to check out the famous Lan Kai Fong and SoHo area. Both areas sit tucked away on hilly curvy streets and offer numerous bars and restaurants. In SoHO they actually have built a covered escalator which takes patrons all the way to the top. We fell upon a Mexican restaurant to which the Mexicans were delighted (I of course was too!). I'd like to point out here that we ate outside in attempts to make my friends in cold Europe jealous. Did it work? Did I mention I just had a light jacket on and wasn't the least bit cold? Oh and I had a margarita on the rocks.

On Wednesday, we checked out some of Hong Kong's beaches located on the other side of the island. The sand was golden and the water was glittering with sunlight. However, there was a bunch of Chinese tourists walking around like winter clothed zombies taking pictures so the whole "I'm on a secluded tropical beach" theme was kinda destroyed. However I imagine that it was pretty empty compared to summer time. At Repulse Bay, there is is also a Chinese pagoda with Chinese statutes and Buddhas...it was really colorful and I think the favorite I've seen so far. We also visited Stanley Beach and went through the market. There's no bargaining like in Shanghai so we didn't buy anything. However on our last night we went to the Temple Street Market. Again, the deals aren't as good as in Shanghai but we managed to work our best and left with some good souvenirs. We also enjoyed a late night snack and some beer at the outdoor restaurants. I really enjoy sitting on those little plastic tables and eating yummy Chinese food while drinking beer...that's something which may not seem so glamorous (because it isn't) but something that I'll miss back in Europe.

Well it's almost boarding time and I've written a short novel again it seems. Hey you! Wake up! It's the end of this post.

12 more days to Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

Something that I have learned is there is always some price to pay in the pursuit of your dreams. For me it's valued time with my family. While I'm young and motivated I want to travel and experience as much as I can. Almost three years ago, it was giving it a try to live in a different country: Germany. Now, it's a study abroad semester in China. I am so happy and grateful for these experiences but it has come at a price. This year marks the third year in a row where I was unable to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. For those non-Americans out there I will now provide you with a little Thanksgiving tale:

Once upon a time, some Pilgrims traveled to America to escape religious persecution from an evil Europe (dun dun dun!). When they came to America; however, they struggled to gain substance from the land. Fortunately, they met some Indians who taught them how to plant and grow. When the harvest came that year, both Pilgrims and Indians came together to celebrate their gratitude and thankfulness. It wasn't until President Lincoln, that Thanksgiving actually became a public holiday. Now in the States, typically every person gets Thursday and Friday off so that families can get together and have a grand meal Thursday night...there's turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, bread, and PIE! Of course, all this consumption of food (and usually alcohol) puts most Americans into a food coma which they have to recover from and thus---the Friday off!

In my first two years away from home, I was lucky to celebrate Thanksgiving with some American friends in Berlin. First year it was vegetarian (to which I was highly skeptical but it turned out good!) and the second year Lauren and co. outdid themselves...I think we almost amounted to 20 people gathered together on a long table with an actual Turkey. This year, I was worried and a bit sad since I had no idea with whom or where to celebrate. But, turns out my American friend Becca had got invited to go dive bar's Thanksgiving dinner and she kindly asked me along! The bar is owned by a sweet Chinese woman who had gone through the effort to organize something authentic, of course, there was still a bit of Chinese flair. We actually had a REAL turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes. It was delicious! We were also served some Chinese vegetables and I think one of them was dragon root and the other some sort of bean? It was definitely an interesting mix-up for me. In the end, the owners said the meal was on them and we should just spend our money at the bar. I think everyone was thankful for that statement! As for as me, I'm thankful to meet great people from all over the world and still be able to celebrate those special holidays from my culture. And of course, I'm thankful that despite distances and absences, that I have a loving and supporting family whom I miss dearly but know that I will see in no time at all!

 

Beijing

My time in China is limited. I'm only here for 4 months and already 2.5 months have passed. Originally I planned to do a lot of traveling in January but plans changed and I will now be flying back to Hamburg on January 1st. With such limited time, I really had to narrow down the things I hoped to see. At the very top of my list was to see the Great Wall. I mean, you can't go to China and not see the Great Wall right? It's like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. Well I finally got to scratch it off on my list one weekend ago. Anne and I went for 4 days and we managed to see everything we wanted.

We arrived on a Saturday morning to dismal weather. It's much colder in Beijing than Shanghai and we overestimated our level of comfort "nah, we don't need the heavy winter jacket, let's just go out with a light jacket!" Well, with the rain and the poor quality of our shoes, our feet were soaked through in a matter of minutes. But hey, that's okay, that's what added to the ambiance...especially since we went to see Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Since there was the 18th National People's Congress being held on the following Monday, security all over Beijing had been increased so that we actually had to get checked before entering the square. Strangely enough, they basically waved Anne and I through while keeping a strong eye on all Chinese. The square itself is rather big and plain. For me, the coolest part was at the north side: the entrance to the Forbidden City where the famous Mao pictures hangs. The Forbidden City was different that what I was expecting. Basically you enter, walk through a square, up stairs to where there is some sort of "harmony room" then you go down the stairs, walk through a square, go up stairs, where there is a "harmony and peace" room and then you repeat this process about 5x. Then at the end there is a rock garden and some statues and more "harmony" rooms and that's about! I bet back in the days, the emperor got pretty bored. Hence the number of concubines and special ceremonies to keep him entertained!

After all of the walking and rain, we were exhausted and had to take cover in Hagen Dasz in order to rejuvenate ourselves with some hot chocolate. This became a recurring theme during our Beijing trip. Last year I battled the cold with Glühwein, but hot chocolate has become an adequate substitute. In the evening we decided to treat ourselves to some famous Peking Duck and it.was.so.good! We went to a popular restaurant where the Chef himself comes out to cut your duck. Anne and I thought half a duck would suffice, but to be honest, it was so good I could have ate half a duck myself! It's served with a thin pancake in which you add sweet sauce and green shallots. You roll it up like a burrito and eat it with chopsticks...a somewhat difficult task!

On Sunday we took a trip to the Summer Palace....and now that is what I call a Palace! We got the recommendation to not miss the summer palace and I would pass along that advice as well. When we first entered there was a colorful village along water. Before us was a temple upon a hill. Up there gave you a sense of being away from the city, it was really peaceful with only the sounds of dangling bells from the temple roof. Once you got to the other side of the temple, you saw the view of the lake. We made our way down and took a stroll around the lake to the island in the middle. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Afterwards we took a cab to get a look of the Bird's Nest Stadium. By then it had got pretty windy and the cold was getting to be pretty rough, so we only snapped a few touristy pictures and then headed back to the hostel to get some rest before heading to the Great Wall the next day.

On Monday, we woke early and made our way to the Great Wall. We booked a trip through our hostel and it was money well paid. We were given a hearty American breakfast, provided transportation via bus, and even had a funny tour guide. When we got the wall; however, we decided to break off from the group. We spent 3.5 hours walking along the wall and the whole time I just had to think to myself "I'm walking on the GREAT WALL!" We were lucky to have a sunny day with a bright blue sky. November is considered off-season so there weren't so many tourists. Everywhere you looked, you could see the Wall winding up the mountain. What really impressed me about the Wall was not the Wall necessarily in itself, but the fact that these ancient Chinese built the Wall on a mountain! Sometimes when I see such extraordinary achievement, I really start to think the existence of aliens could be possible. Anyways, on our way down we actually took a toboggan slide. Whosoever idea it was to build a slide for tourists to come back down should receive a medal because that slide is much fun! You just have a simple lever to either push forward (to go) or to pull back (to stop). Admittedly, I wasn't too great with the whole break function and the lady in front of me received a shoe print on her backpack as a result...whoops! When we got back down, we were treated to a typical Chinese lunch as part of our package. After 3.5 hours of walking up and down, Anne and I wolfed down the delicious meal.

In the evening, we visit "Ghost Street" for dinner. Actually know as Gui Jie , its simply a road full of restaurants. But the neat thing is there are lanterns everywhere.

On Tuesday, we checked off the last place of our sight-seeing list with a visit the Temple of Heaven. It actually covers an area larger than the Forbidden City. Like most Chinese architecture, a lot of thought went into the design. For example, the "Heaven" part is circular and raised above the square "Earth" part to show that Heaven lies above Earth. The Temple of Heaven has also witness many historical events from communists processions with Mao as well as the Olympics. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed our Beijing trip. I think four days is enough to see all the main sights, but of course, I'm sure there's tons more to Beijing that we missed. Foreigners have commented that people in Beijing can be rude, but I'd like to point out that we had good experience with the locals. One taxi driver even sang along with me during my ritual of "practice all the Chinese words you know without annoying the taxi driver.". The best part of the trip was being on the Great Wall. It's something I'll never forget and would recommend as one of those "must-sees" before you die.